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Unhappy Butler unloads 'brutal honesty' on T-Wolves

Jimmy Butler returned to practice with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the first time this season, and told ESPN in an interview that he was "brutally honest" with teammates and other officials in that workout.

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4-time all-star has asked to be traded

Jimmy Butler, who has asked the Minnesota Wolves to trade him, returned to practice with the team on Wednesday. (Andy Clayton-King/Associated Press)

Jimmy Butler is back with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and his first practice of the season had fireworks.

He caused them — with his words and his play.

Butler, who asked for a trade more than three weeks ago, practiced with the Timberwolves for the first time this season Wednesday. ESPN reported that Butler verbally challenged players, coaches and even general manager Scott Layden in the practice, during which Butler dominated the team's scrimmages even when going up against stars like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.

In an interview taped with ESPN after practice, Butler said "a lot" of the network's report was true and that the scene in practice was him just showing passion and being "brutally honest."

At one point in a scrimmage, sources said, Butler turned to GM Scott Layden and screamed, "You (bleeping) need me. You can't win without me." Butler left teammates and coaches largely speechless. He dominated the gym in every way. Jimmy's back.

"All my emotion came out at one time," Butler said in the interview. "Was it the right way to do it? No. But I can't control that when I'm out there competing. That's my love of the game. That's raw me. Me at my finest, me at my purest. That's what you're going to get inside the lines."

The four-time NBA All-Star said he warned coach Tom Thibodeau before practice that he would let his emotions out if he played, and that's apparently what happened.

"I haven't played basketball in so long," Butler said during the interview. "And I'm so passionate and I love the game and I don't do it for any other reason except for to compete and go up against the best to try to prove that I can hang."

Wednesday was the 23rd day of this saga that started when Butler told Thibodeau that he wanted a trade. Thibodeau has said the team will try to make Butler happy, but has cautioned throughout the process that Minnesota will only do a deal that it deems is good for Minnesota.

"We're always going to do what's best for the team," Thibodeau said. "That's the important thing for everyone to understand, and if that means he's here, then he'll be here."

Thibodeau lauded Butler's fire after practice Wednesday.

'He's a competitor'

"If he's here, or he's somewhere else, once he gets there or he's here, he's going to give you everything he has," Thibodeau said. "He's a competitor."

Butler is a four-time All-Star who helped Minnesota snap a 14-year playoff drought last season and can become a free agent after this season. He could command a deal that would be worth up to $190 million. So as if trading someone as talented as Butler wasn't enough of a challenge, there's also his looming contract situation for potential suitors to consider.

Minnesota guard Jeff Teague, a close friend of Butler's, said after practice Wednesday that Butler's status shouldn't be a distraction for Wolves players.

"It's part of the game," Teague said. "I don't think it's distracting me, but maybe it is distracting some other guys. Either way, man, I love Jimmy. Jimmy is my guy. But if he's not here, we've got a good team."

The Timberwolves have had talks with several teams since Butler made the request — including Miami — and nearly got a deal done with the Heat over the weekend. But those negotiations broke down, a person with direct knowledge of the talks told The Associated Press. The person said on Wednesday that the Heat have not initiated any further conversation with Minnesota since. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because details of the trade talks have not been publicly disclosed.

Butler told ESPN that he plans to be back at practice on Thursday, but cautioned that the relationship with the Timberwolves is still fractured.

"It's not fixed," Butler said. "Let's just be honest, it's not fixed."

Butler was asked during the ESPN interview if the situation could be fixed.

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